Improved still



ticinesi im.' D o taten' taient i (tit-a.

GEORGE JOHNSTN, OF SAN FRANCISC, CALIFORNIA.

Letters Patent No. 89,225, dated April 20, 1869.

IMPROVED STILL.

lha Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same. l

To all whom. it may concern Be it known thatI, GnoRGn JOHNSTON, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented au Improvement in Stills; and I do hereby declare the following description and accompanying drawings are suiiicient to enable any person skilled in the art Yor science to which it most nearly appertains, to make and use my said invention or improvement; withoutrfurther invention or experiment.

The nature of my invention consists oi' an improved construction for stills, designed more especially for the production of spirituous liquors, as brandy and whiskey, and it relates to an arrangement of the furnace with two discharge-dues, one ot' which connects with the space beneath the alembic, or retort, and the other with the chimney, so that by means of a slide, or damper, the current of heat may be directed into either passage at pleasure, and thus obviate the necessity of withdrawing the lires during' the process 0f charging and discharging the still.

The retort has a series of horizontal diaphragms,V

or partit-ions, commencing near the bottom, and reaching to the top, which separate it into chambers, the lower ones being connected by means 'oi' hollow return columns, the next ones .having distributions so contrived, as to thoroughly pass the hot vapors through the liquid contained within the chambers, while the upper chamber of all contains a number of coils of pipe, or other device, through which the vapors pass, and thus heat a charge oi' alcoholic liquid contained within this chamber.

Suitable valves are arranged to discharge' the contents of this upper chamber into one of the lower ones, and from that to the next, and lastly to the lowest or heating-chamber.

Within this upper chamber is a short bent pipe, 011e end of which opens into the discharge-pipe, andthe other into the chamber, and it has a self-acting valve, which relieves the chamber of any pressure due to overheating, and thus converts the heating-chamber intoa chamberjof the still.

The vapors are carried from this lirst vessel, or retortto the lowest chamber of the vessel B, and rise successively through all the chambers, through distributions similar to those within the first vessel, the heat of each being regulated by means of a water-pipe passing through each of the chambers successively in coils, thence discharging, the ow being regulated by a cock.

Another water-pipe enters the lowermost chamber, and is coiledla suilicient number of times to give the contained water the requisite heat, when it passes out and discharges its contents into the upper chamber of the vessel B, from whence they are conveyed by a series of traps, or valves to the lower chambers successively, so that the spirit may be. cleansed from its fusel-oil, andothe1'\il11pu1'ities at one distillation, in place of the two or more heretofore used, and in which quent distillation.

From the vessel B the spirit passes to the refrigerat 'I ing-apparatus 1n the worm-tub, as usual.

To more fully illustrate and explain my invention, referenceis made to the accompanying drawings, and letters marked thereon Similar letters of reference in each of the figures indicate like parts. A is the retort, and B, the second chamber of the still.

The retort is set in brick-work, as shown, and has a tire-space, O, beneath it.

The furnace D maybe of any desirable form and construction, and it has two dues, or passages, the one E connecting with the chamber O, and thence to the chimney, while the ilue F opens directly into the chimney,

These ltwo tlues are opened or closed by a valve, or damper, G, so made, that when one is opened, the other may be closed.

By this arrangement, the heat. of the ire may be made to pass beneath the retort, or it may be entirely slmt oli, and pass directly to the chimney while charging and discharging, and the necessity for withdrawing the lire is obviatcd.

'lhe retort, or vessel A contains a number of chambers, the lower one, H, of which, holds the charge, and is subjected to the heat of the lire orsteam.

This chamber may be discharged at any time by the pipe I.

Above this chamber are two other chambers J and J I A large hollow column, or pipe, K, opening into the chamber H, at the bottom, extends to near the top of the chamber J.

Over this chamberis placed an inverted bell-mouthed pipe, K', closed at the top, and extending to near the bottom of the chamber J, being large enough, so that as the vapors ascend from the chamber H, they rise to the top of the column KH, then are returned downward outside of it, and between it and the case K', and are finally discharged from its mouth, and rise through the alcoholic liquid, with which the chamber J is filled, to near the level of the top of the column K.

From this chamber the vapor passes by a similar device to the chamber J', as shown, this chamber being also filled like the other lwith alcoholic liquid.

Above the chamber J are two shallow chambers L and L'.

The chamber L contains a distributer, consisting of four hollow radial arms M M, pierced with small holes on their lower sides.

These arms meet at the centre, and are connected with the chamberJ by a short pipe, or passage, N.

An open pipe, 0, passes through the bottom of the chamber L, and rises just high enough, so that the arms M will remain constantly coveredbut any liquid more than suiiicient for that purpose, will flow down the pipe O, which extends to near the bottom of the chamber J, and has a short tube, P, encircling it, and rising around it to such a height as to form a tra-p, so that all vapors must pass through the distributer to reach the chamber L( The chamber L is connected with L, by a distributer, M', and has also a similar trap formed of the pipes O and P', as shown.

From the chamber L' the vapors pass into the pipe Q, which is situated within the upper chamber R, and is coiled within it a number of times, so as to serve as a heater for the charge of alcoholic-liquid, which is introduced to this chamber through the pipe S. Any other form of heater, such as a cylinder, may be used if found desirable. l

Aeshort bent pipe, T, is placed with one end ,opening into the coiled pipe Q, and the other into the upper part of the chamber R.

A valve, V, is placed in this pipe, so that if the temperature of the charge in the chamber R be unduly elevated, any pressure therefrom, will raise the valve, and allow the vapor to enter the pipe Q, thus making the heating-chamber a chamber of the still.`

The chamber R- has apipe, W, passing from its bottom through the two chambers Land L', and communicating with the chamber J valve, aX, which is operated from the outside, controlling the passage.

The chambers J and J have each a similar valve, X and'X2, so that when the charge in the chamber H has been marked off and discharged, the valve X2 is opened, and the charge in J passes into H.

The charge in J enters the chamber J, through the' valve X, and the pharge from R passes through the valve X and pipe W, to fill the chamber J, afterwhich a. new charge is let into R through the pipe S.

The vapor after passing through these different chambers and pipes, is carried by the pipe Ql out of the ves-` sel A, and then down till 'it enters the lower chamber a of the vessel B, where the pipe opens with a bellmouth close to the bottom.`

The chamber a is connected with the chamber H, in the vessel A, by means of a pipe, l), and stop-cock,

- so that all the condensed vapors and other contents of a can be returned to H again.

The vessel B is divided by diaphragms, like the vessel A, into a number of other chambers c l c, each of which connects with the one below, by means of distributers g g, similar to that described in the chamber L in the vessel A, and each chamber has a trap, or pipes, h 7L', like those described, as connecting the chambers L L and J in the vessel A.

The vapors are kept at a temperature which gradually decreases in each of the chambers from the bottom up, by means of a water-pipe, i, which enters the upper chamber, and is coiled, as shown at Figure 2, then passes outind into the chamber below, within which it is coiled in a like manner, and thus through the whole, finally discharging after leaving the lowest chamber a,

the water being elevated in temperature in each of the chambers as it descends, so that the heavier impurities are condensed in the chamber a, and the lighter ones in their order ascending, till the vapor thoroughly washedand purified, passes through the upper chamber at any desired temperature, to the worm-tub, or refrigerator, through the pipe k.

The water for purifying purposes is carried by a pipe, on., to the chamber a,.within which the pipe is coiled a suficient number of times to allow the water to be raised to the desired temperature, after which the pipe passes out of a., and rises to the upper chamber c, where it discharges into the chamber, the supply-pipe having a cock, by which the amount introduced may be regulated.

The water will iill the chamber e to the level of the top of the pipe h3, and the surplus will pass through this pipe to the chamber cl beneath.

ner, and so on to the lowest chamber.

be allowed to run continuously when the still is worked continuously, but when the still is working separate charges, an amount of water sufcient to cleanse the spirituous-vapors is introduced at each charge.

Water will cleanse the spirit of most of its fusel-oil and other impurities when used in sufficient quantity, and such is the practice in all redistillation, the impure spirit being with water and returned to the still.

With stills such as Coffeys, the spirit is partially puried by decreasing its specific gravity on its passage from the alembic to the worm, thereby freeing it from some of its fusel-oil.

Myinvention not only reduces its specific gravity at one operation, but also passes it through a suicient quantity of water to absorb its impurities Without any further heating.

In my device, the second column, or chamber B of the still, is charged with the amount of water necessary to cleanse the vapors, and it`i`skept-atsuch a temperature, that the heavier impurities are all condensed or united with the matter in the lowest chamber, and from that to the upper one. c, within which thc temperature is so regulated, that the spirituousvapors may be passed to the refrigerator at any proof desired, and cleansed of nearly all impurities, this being effected at one operation, as before described.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isp .1. The furnace D, with the two fines E and F, and the adjustable slide, or damper Gr, for transi'e ring, regulating, and stopping the heat, substantially as herein described.

alent device for converting the heating-chamber into a chamber ot' the still, substantially as described.

3. The device consisting of the heating-vessel A, together with the vessel B, with its chambers and passages intervening between the vessel A, and the refrigerating-apparatus, when constructed and operating substantially as herein described.

4. Regulating the temperature of the chambers of the vessel B, by means of water passing through the pipe i, or an equivalent device substantially, as described.

and seal.

GEORGE JOHNSTON. [L. s.] Witnesses:

Guo. H. STRONG, J. L. BOONE.

The pipe h2 supplies the chamber c in the samemau- The water may be regulated in quantity, and mayv 2. The curved pipe T, and the valve V, or an equiv- In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand 

